Will Warrender

Chief Executive

Mr William Warrender served 32 years in the Royal Navy and completed his

career as a Rear Admiral responsible for recruiting and training Royal Navy and

Royal Marines personnel. Spending the majority of his earlier career at sea he

was fortunate to command five warships. On shore, his command followed with

responsibility for the conduct of national and coalition operations across 2.5 million

square miles of water in the Gulf.

He was subsequently appointed as a Commander of the Most Excellent Order of

the British Empire in the 2018 Operational Honours List and granted the US

Legion of Merit for his contribution to coalition maritime operations. He served

twice in the Ministry of Defence HQ where he led military support to UK resilience

and counter terrorism operations across government agencies and private

organisations.

In his current capacity, Mr Warrender is the Chief Executive of the South Western

Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT). In this role he is able to

draw upon his considerable operational experience within a cross-cultural and

multi-disciplined environment and deliver under challenging environments, while

meeting the increased demands of activity.

Under his leadership, and with the support of the Board, Mr Warrender is

responsible for the 5500-strong workforce, delivering emergency and urgent

patient care across 10,000 square miles of mainland England, spanning eight

counties Cornwall & Isles of Scilly; Devon; Somerset; Dorset; Bristol; Wiltshire and

Gloucestershire. He is responsible for SWASFT operational assets comprising 120

sites, 96 ambulance stations, six air bases and five emergency operation centres.

Mr Warrender has an inclusive and compassionate style of leadership. He is passionate about building strong, resourceful

teams and inspires others to achieve their best. He is a champion of diversity and under his leadership he will continue to lead

in providing fair opportunities for all.

Mr Warrender was born in India and holds a Bachelor’s Degree (1992) and a Master’s Degree (2004) from King’s College,

London. He is also a member of the Royal College of Defence Studies (2017). His family home is in South Devon where his

interests include sport (hockey, running, triathlon) and walking the two family dogs.

Career history

• July 2020 – CEO South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust

• 2018-2020 – Rear Admiral Flag Officer Sea Training, Royal Navy

• 2015-2018 – UK Maritime Component Commander (Bahrain)

• 2013-2015 – Assistant Head of UK Military, Ministry of Defence

• 2011-2013 – Commanding Officer, HMS Dauntless, Royal Navy

• 2009-2009 – Commanding Officer, HMS Montrose, Royal Navy

• 2004-2006 – Commanding Officer, HMS Argyll, Royal Navy

• 1998-1999 – Commanding Officer, HMS Cattistock, Royal Navy

• 1997-1998 – Commanding Officer, HMS Chiddingfold, Royal Navy

• 1988 – Joined Royal Navy

Will Warrender Chief Executive continued…

With over 30 years senior leader experience of managing large

and complex operations, Tony has held numerous Executive

positions within the regulated and privatised sector.

He is an experienced leader who is people focused and ensuring

they are at the heart of an organization and unlocking their

potential and contribution is the best way to success for all parties.

He brings to the Board of Directors a wealth of operational and

strategic commercial experience with a proven track record of

developing and implementing transformational change

programmes and high performance in regulated and non regulated

organisations.

Tony brings a passion for safety and staff wellbeing to the Board

of Directors and has held a number of roles as an Executive and

Non-Executive championing these areas.

He is proud to be the Chairman of such a caring and

compassionate organization driven to deliver the best service

every individual can to the patients and public of the South West.

Tony Fox

Trust Chairman

Tim joined the NHS in 2018 as Executive Director for Information

Management and Technology (IM&T) having worked for the

preceding 14 years within the Public Sector as a senior manager

in Policing technology. In the Trust he is responsible for;

Information Governance, ICT, Information Governance and

Programme Management functions.

He is also the Senior Information Risk Owner (SIRO) as well as

providing leadership to the national Ambulance Radio Programme

team which reports into the Directorate. As a career Information &

Technology professional, Tim holds Chartered IT Professional

status and is a qualified service, project and programme manager

as well as holding a Bachelor’s Degree in Technology and other

qualifications including in sustainable development.

He is experienced in leading teams and running complex,

‘mission-critical’ services. Throughout his career, Tim has

managed large-scale projects and introduced significant business

change programmes. He has worked in the South West through-

out his career and is passionate about how technology and the

use of information can have a positive impact on our lives in all its

aspects.

Tim Bishop

Executive Director of

IM&T

Jonathan joined West country Ambulance Service in 2000 working

in the Finance and Stores department. Having progressed within

the Finance function Jonathan completed his CIMA Accounting

Qualification before working as a Management Accountant

following the merger with Dorset Ambulance Service.

In 2007 Jonathan took on the role of Financial Planning Manager

and led the Finance work streams for both the Foundation Trust

application and acquisition of Great Western Ambulance Service.

Jonathan was promoted to Deputy Director of Finance in 2012

where he has remained in post until being appointed as Acting

Executive Director of Finance in April 2019 with responsibility for

the Finance, Procurement, Commissioning, Planning and

Performance functions of the Trust. Jonathan James

Acting Executive Director

of Finance

Andy has been a GP in Devon since 1997 and has been actively

involved in medical management. His interests have always

included urgent and emergency care. He helped establish the ‘out

of hours’ GP service in his area. Prior to his appointment to the

role of Executive Medical Director in February 2010 Andy was the

Associate Director of Primary Care Services for the Trust since

April 2008.

He is a member of the Royal College of General Practitioners, and

responds to 999 calls as an ambulance doctor.

Andy was appointed to the role of Executive Medical Director on 1

February 2010 and is joint Board Champion for Clinical Quality

and is the Trust’s Caldicott Guardian. He has a Bachelor of

Science Hons Microbiology (University of Bristol), Bachelor of

Medicine & Surgery MB Ch.B (University of Bristol), Post

Graduate Diploma of the Royal College of Obstetricians and

Gynaecologists, Diploma in Child Health.

Dr Andy Smith

Executive Medical

Director

As a qualified nurse and Health visitor and having spent the first years

of her career within acute care working within the south West and the

USA, Jenny has spent the majority of her clinical career working within

Community and Public Health settings.

Jenny has been a Board Director for more than 10 years initially within

commissioning and since 2014 with the Ambulance service. As a

clinical board director, Jenny is passionate about quality improvement

and ensuring that quality is at the heart of what we do.

Jenny continues to work closely with frontline staff and has actively

worked to support the development of staff health and wellbeing

initiatives. Jenny is a qualified practice teacher and has an interest in

Public Health, Inclusion and Prevention and has significant experience

of working with stakeholders to deliver change for local and vulnerable

and excluded communities. Outside of the Trust Jenny is also a

Trustee of Hospicecare Exeter.

Jenny is responsible for Clinical Care including ACQIs , Medicines

Management, Patient Safety, Claims and Inquests, Patient Experience,

Patient Engagement, Health, Safety & Security, Mental Health &

Learning Disabilities, Safeguarding, Research, Audit and Improvement,

Infection Control, Quality Improvement, Quality Assurance and Risk.

Jenny Winslade

Executive Director of Quality and Clinical

Care

Jessica started her NHS career in 1992 on the National Management

Training Scheme Programme and was posted to the Children’s Hospital in

Plymouth.

Jessica spent the next decade working in a number of large teaching

hospitals in the north of England as an Operational General Manager

managing a number of specialties including Trauma and Orthopaedics,

Ophthalmology, Renal, Neurosciences, Emergency Departments Theatres

and Anaesthetics amongst others.

In 2004 she joined the South West Strategic Health Authority and was the

Performance Manager for Somerset, Devon and Dorset as well as taking the

lead on strategic programmes of work across the south west including stroke

services and child health until 2012 when she joined SWASFT as a Director

to lead the Acquisition of Great Western Ambulance Service. In 2013 she

became the Director of Planning and Performance responsible for negotiating

the A&E contract and managing the Trusts relationships with Clinical

Commissioning Groups and regulatory bodies. Throughout this period

Jessica has worked closely with Operations and as part of this co-produced

the A&E Operating Plan.

Jessica was appointed as the Acting Executive Director of Operations in

October 2017 and was made substantive in this role in October 2018. Jessica

is responsible for all frontline services including A&E, the 999 clinical hubs,

EPRR and Urgent Care.

Jessica Cunningham

Executive Director of

Operations

Amy has worked in HR within the NHS since 2003, commencing her NHS

career with Weston Area Healthcare Trust and later working for Gloucester

Hospitals Foundation Trust before moving to join the Ambulance sector in

2012 as Deputy Director of HR and OD.

Prior to this Amy had a career in advertising, focussing specifically on the

recruitment market, developing candidate attraction strategies for a range of

high profile national and international clients. Amy has a Masters in HR

Strategy and Management from University of the West of England Business

School and is a member of the CIPD. In April 2018 Amy joined the South

Western Ambulance Foundation Trust Board as the newly appointed

Executive Director of People and Culture. Amy is responsible for the HR

function, Education, Communications and Operational Support Services.

During her HR career Amy has led the delivery of recruitment, employee

relations and education services and significant programmes of

organisational development work, including workforce redesign and

transformation. Having also led workforce savings programmes Amy has

delivered significant and complex programmes of organisational change,

designed to deliver workforce structures with greater resilience and improved

productivity.

Amy acts as both mentor and coach to a number of individuals from a variety

of roles from both within and external to the organisation and participates in

national programmes of work for the Ambulance sector and NHS and on

occasions, for the wider HR professional network.

Amy Beet

Executive Director of

People and Culture

Gail joined the Board of Directors of South Western Ambulance

Service Trust in September 2016.

Professionally, Gail has worked in large Financial Services

organisations, in change and operational management. She

specialises in corporate re-structuring to achieve financial returns

whilst continuing to deliver operational results.

She has delivered substantial change programmes, such as

completing a £5.2bn M&A transaction and negotiating an

outsourcing deal worth £1.4bn. Alongside this she has a very

broad management background, including in Risk, IT and Supplier

Management. She has run large operational teams and managed

significant financial budgets.

Gail now works as a freelance consultant, and as a non-executive

director and committee chair, including for Interactive Investor. Her

community and charitable interests include being a Director of a

multi academy Trust and Chair of Governors at a local primary

school.

Gail Bragg

Deputy Chair and Non-

Executive Director

Trust Board

Nick has extensive executive experience working at senior levels

(MD, COO and VP) of a number of different high-profile blue chip

product and service providers across multiple sectors. (SIG,

GAP, Clarks, BAA, Diageo, DHL). Through the recruitment

process Nick demonstrated that he had lots of experience in

setting and executing strategic direction and he is also a subject

matter expert in logistics and supply chain with a strong focus on

customer service, quality and the importance of engaged

employees.

Nick brings significant experience operating at board level and

will provide real insight into strategic direction setting, how to

bring it to life for all stakeholders as well as how data and

information is critical to delivering results across the trust

strategic goals (the three Every’s.)

Nick is based in Bristol and joined the Board on 1 January 2020.

Nick Cullen

Non-Executive Director

Trust Board

Martin is a senior leader with a focus on customer service and profitable

performance. He achieves this through giving ownership to the people

responsible for delivery; engaging, empowering, coaching and

supporting teams; setting clear expectations; then building confidence

and capability through to delivery. He has wide experience in large

Employee and Customer centric organisations including( BT, Openreach

and Homeserve.)

Martin is an experienced Field Operations Director and many of the

organisations that he has worked for have a dispersed workforce,

working across multiple sites, he demonstrated strength in engaging a

wide network of staff and developing operational models to improve

performance. Through the recruitment process Martin demonstrated

both the operational transformation change background we were

seeking as well as the focus on achievements and results through

people management engagement and internal communications. He

also demonstrated high personal values aligned to the trusts,

Martin is based in Gloucestershire and is also in training as a CFR for

the Trust, offering a unique insight on the Board and joined the Board on

1 January 2020.

Martin Holloway

Non-Executive Director

Venessa has a vocational background in general nursing, social

work and teaching. An experienced senior manager, she has held

executive, board-level appointments in the private education

sector and the NHS.

Her specific areas of expertise include corporate governance and

commissioning services for people with complex care needs, from

which she brings a wealth of experience in partnership,

collaborative and contractual working arrangements with NHS

organisations, social services and the independent care sector.

She was appointed to the Board of Directors of South Western

Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT) in June

2014.

Venessa is Board champion for social care and the Duty of

Candour, and she has a keen interest in applied health

psychology research.

She holds qualifications in business management and teaching,

including the Masters-equivalent DTEFLA, and is currently

studying for a Masters in Advanced Psychology at Plymouth

University.

Venessa James

Senior Independent

Director and Non-

Executive Director

Minesh is a Consultant Neonatologist and Professor of

Perinatal Health at Poole Hospital where he has been

since 2007. He is also involved in clinical research at

Bournemouth University and supervises PhD students.

Minesh, who lives in Dorset, has undertaken a 10 month

NHS Fast Track Executive Leadership programme with

Harvard & NHS leadership Academy.

He has a special interest in quality improvement and

safety and large scale transformation projects.

Minesh was appointed to the Board of Directors of South

Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust

(SWASFT) in May 2017.

Minesh Khashu

Non-Executive Director

Paul qualified as an accountant in 1994.

He is currently Finance Director and Company Secretary

for Guinness Care, a not for profit organisation within the

Guinness Partnership that provides care and housing

support services across England. Prior to this role, Paul

has 15 years’ experience as a Finance Director within

companies in the housing, welfare to work and arts

sector, and has also worked as a financial regulator in the

public sector.

Paul has significant Board experience with public service

organisations, having served as a non-executive director

in the dch group, West Devon Homes and Social Firms

UK.

Paul was appointed as a Non-Executive Director to the

Board of Directors of South Western Ambulance Service

NHS Foundation Trust in July 2015.

Paul Love

Non-Executive Director

Jacqui is a strong business leader with extensive

experience of operating at Executive and Non-Executive

Director level, both in a permanent and consulting

capacity. Through the recruitment process Jacqui

demonstrated that she has a passion and proven track

record in helping organisations to embrace values and

how to embed them with employees building high

performing teams, across multi sites with shared values.

She is a leadership coach and has worked in Private,

Charity and Health organisations at senior Board levels.

Jacqui has worked across different sectors

providing insights into organisational development and

design, culture evaluation and performance management.

Jacqui is based in Dorset.

Dr Jacqueline Richards

Non-Executive Director